In the summer of 1995 we decided to take a family holiday to Turkey. Nikhil was just over 5 and Arjun was 4 and both were excited about a trip abroad. They were expecting a couple of weeks of playing on the beach and swimming in the sea. But in true Shah family style we had a whole itinerary planned out – well not exactly! Sitting on the beach for 2 weeks was the last thing on our minds so we had a rough itinerary planned but wanting to be flexible we just booked a flight to Dalaman airport and from there took a coach to Fethiye. At the coach station , we were accosted by drivers with offers of accommodation and ended up in a nice hotel with a pool and the beach nearby. 

It was a lovely place – the sea was azure blue and the hotel was very reasonably priced. We could have just spent 2 weeks relaxing here and enjoying the swimming sunshine and the sea along with the apple teas but that would have been too easy. 

Our adventurous spirit had never left us even if we had 2 young children in tow. Besides we were sure they had inherited our travelling bug, after all we had embarked on a 3 week touring holiday to France Italy and Switzerland by car when Nikhil was only 9 months and I was maybe a few weeks  pregnant with Arjun. 

So after a couple of wonderful days in Fethiye, we decided to travel to a different place and went to Marmaris, taking the local coach. Here again we had accommodation offers -these were the days before internet bookings and Air B&B so there would be loads of people waiting at coach stops to try and take travellers to hotels and who would get a commission in return. Most of them had a portfolio with some pictures of the hotels and prices. 

Marmaris was another seaside resort, a lot more popular with tourists and so was really busy. Here again we explored the town and local markets and did a spot of swimming and beach activities. We also took a day trip on a boat to explore a nearby island. Lunch was included with the price and we had told them we were vegetarian and were told no problem. At some point when we stopped for people to go snorkelling and swimming, the crew started catching fish for lunch. Nikhil was getting very distressed by the sight of fish wriggling in the buckets and kept asking them to throw the fish back into the sea. When we arrived at the island and moored , started walking up to viewpoint. A lady from the tour joined us and started chatting to the boys and asking them if they were looking forward to the fresh fish for lunch. No I’m veggie replied Nikhil indignantly. Afterwards when wee got back to the boat, he went to every single person sat there and asked them if they were meat or veggie. To his disappointment we were the only veggies. And then to add insult to injury, they still brought out our lunch of rice and vegetables with the fish . when we complained, they took it back , removed the fish and placed it again in front of us. Needless to say we couldn’t eat the lunch. 

From Marmaris the plan was to go to Pamukale the next day. However in Marmaris on a local bus we lost our camera. We might have just forgotten it on the bus but it was lost, so we went to report it at the local police station in order to get a claim through the insurance company. This was a really scary experience. We were made to wait outside the station for around 4-5 hours where police with machine guns stood guard to the entrance. There was literally no activity taking place inside and yet they would not take a statement and give us a crime reference number. In the end we just gave up. It was unfair on the children who were tired and hungry to just keep waiting. In such countries, the police are a law unto themselves and want to always show their authority. It takes guts to challenge them and usually people don’t bother as it’s not worth the risk. 

So next day we headed off to Pamukale. Waiting at the bus stop for the coach to come, Hitesh and Arjun went to get some fruit and drinks for the journey. Meanwhile the coach arrived and everyone was getting on. Nikhil began to get very anxious that these 2 hadn’t returned and started loading our bags and telling the driver to wait. He was shouting at Arjun and Hitesh to hurry as they were just sauntering along! It was quite a long coach trip some 3-4 hours and Nikhil needed a wee at some point but the coach was not going to stop. Luckily we had an empty drinks bottle he could use. 

Again at the coach station in the town , we met this friendly guy whose family owned a farmhouse so we went there. They cooked a really nice vegetarian meal for us – rice and vegetables along with some sort of bhajias. He was very interested in finding out about us and we talked long into the night. The next day we went to the thermal hot springs. You had to walk up barefeet a fair distance and then could swim in the thermal pools and bathe in the thermal waterfalls. It was very therapeutic. The boys whilst complaining along the walk (it was quite painful on the feet to walk barefeet on the stones ) also really enjoyed the bathing. 

The next day , we were going to Ephesus, which was once considered to be the most important Greek city and today it is a UNESCO world heritage site famous because the archeological ruins are so well preserved. We arrived in Ephesus and the plan was to go very early in the morning as it gets really hot so we arrived there well before 9am but it was still very hot. Archeological ruins are not really fun for 4 and 5 year olds who just wanted to sit in the shade and drink some juices. So I proceeded to give them a lecture about how we do everything for them and why they can’t do this for us and how selfish they were! Honestly I’m ashamed at how selfish I was in pursuing my own agenda. 

And then to make matters worse, Nikhil developed a dodgy stomach and had diarhhoea. So we ended up spending a day more in Ephesus not looking at the ruins but just resting in the guesthouse. 

Our next stop was Kusadasi (literally Bird island), again another beautiful beach resort where we had more fun on the beach. Here the waves were quite strong and Arjun was clinging onto Hitesh holding him by his gold chain and later there’s no gold chain. It must have come off in the sea. 

After Kusadasi we took a coach back to Fethiye where we spent the remaining few days chilling, enjoying the sun the sand the pool and the apple teas. Nikhil had quite fond of these fruit teas as they were quite sweet. 

Turkey had been an interesting trip. A few mishaps here and there but all in all we had a had a wonderful time. I think the boys would have been quite happy to just be in one place and enjoy the sun and the sand but then where’s the fun in that and where’s the story! However writing about it now makes me feel guilty about forcing culture and sightseeing and adventure on 4 and 5 year olds and I can understand now why they never said no to a ski holiday but when it came to other holidays they did question the need to go.

In the summer of 1995 we decided to take a family holiday to Turkey. Nikhil was just over 5 and Arjun was 4 and both were excited about a trip abroad. They were expecting a couple of weeks of playing on the beach and swimming in the sea. But in true Shah family style we had a whole itinerary planned out – well not exactly! Sitting on the beach for 2 weeks was the last thing on our minds so we had a rough itinerary planned but wanting to be flexible we just booked a flight to Dalaman airport and from there took a coach to Fethiye. At the coach station , we were accosted by drivers with offers of accommodation and ended up in a nice hotel with a pool and the beach nearby. 

It was a lovely place – the sea was azure blue and the hotel was very reasonably priced. We could have just spent 2 weeks relaxing here and enjoying the swimming sunshine and the sea along with the apple teas but that would have been too easy. 

Our adventurous spirit had never left us even if we had 2 young children in tow. Besides we were sure they had inherited our travelling bug, after all we had embarked on a 3 week touring holiday to France Italy and Switzerland by car when Nikhil was only 9 months and I was maybe a few weeks  pregnant with Arjun. 

So after a couple of wonderful days in Fethiye, we decided to travel to a different place and went to Marmaris, taking the local coach. Here again we had accommodation offers -these were the days before internet bookings and Air B&B so there would be loads of people waiting at coach stops to try and take travellers to hotels and who would get a commission in return. Most of them had a portfolio with some pictures of the hotels and prices. 

Marmaris was another seaside resort, a lot more popular with tourists and so was really busy. Here again we explored the town and local markets and did a spot of swimming and beach activities. We also took a day trip on a boat to explore a nearby island. Lunch was included with the price and we had told them we were vegetarian and were told no problem. At some point when we stopped for people to go snorkelling and swimming, the crew started catching fish for lunch. Nikhil was getting very distressed by the sight of fish wriggling in the buckets and kept asking them to throw the fish back into the sea. When we arrived at the island and moored , started walking up to viewpoint. A lady from the tour joined us and started chatting to the boys and asking them if they were looking forward to the fresh fish for lunch. No I’m veggie replied Nikhil indignantly. Afterwards when wee got back to the boat, he went to every single person sat there and asked them if they were meat or veggie. To his disappointment we were the only veggies. And then to add insult to injury, they still brought out our lunch of rice and vegetables with the fish . when we complained, they took it back , removed the fish and placed it again in front of us. Needless to say we couldn’t eat the lunch. 

From Marmaris the plan was to go to Pamukale the next day. However in Marmaris on a local bus we lost our camera. We might have just forgotten it on the bus but it was lost, so we went to report it at the local police station in order to get a claim through the insurance company. This was a really scary experience. We were made to wait outside the station for around 4-5 hours where police with machine guns stood guard to the entrance. There was literally no activity taking place inside and yet they would not take a statement and give us a crime reference number. In the end we just gave up. It was unfair on the children who were tired and hungry to just keep waiting. In such countries, the police are a law unto themselves and want to always show their authority. It takes guts to challenge them and usually people don’t bother as it’s not worth the risk. 

So next day we headed off to Pamukale. Waiting at the bus stop for the coach to come, Hitesh and Arjun went to get some fruit and drinks for the journey. Meanwhile the coach arrived and everyone was getting on. Nikhil began to get very anxious that these 2 hadn’t returned and started loading our bags and telling the driver to wait. He was shouting at Arjun and Hitesh to hurry as they were just sauntering along! It was quite a long coach trip some 3-4 hours and Nikhil needed a wee at some point but the coach was not going to stop. Luckily we had an empty drinks bottle he could use. 

Again at the coach station in the town , we met this friendly guy whose family owned a farmhouse so we went there. They cooked a really nice vegetarian meal for us – rice and vegetables along with some sort of bhajias. He was very interested in finding out about us and we talked long into the night. The next day we went to the thermal hot springs. You had to walk up barefeet a fair distance and then could swim in the thermal pools and bathe in the thermal waterfalls. It was very therapeutic. The boys whilst complaining along the walk (it was quite painful on the feet to walk barefeet on the stones ) also really enjoyed the bathing. 

The next day , we were going to Ephesus, which was once considered to be the most important Greek city and today it is a UNESCO world heritage site famous because the archeological ruins are so well preserved. We arrived in Ephesus and the plan was to go very early in the morning as it gets really hot so we arrived there well before 9am but it was still very hot. Archeological ruins are not really fun for 4 and 5 year olds who just wanted to sit in the shade and drink some juices. So I proceeded to give them a lecture about how we do everything for them and why they can’t do this for us and how selfish they were! Honestly I’m ashamed at how selfish I was in pursuing my own agenda. 

And then to make matters worse, Nikhil developed a dodgy stomach and had diarhhoea. So we ended up spending a day more in Ephesus not looking at the ruins but just resting in the guesthouse. 

Our next stop was Kusadasi (literally Bird island), again another beautiful beach resort where we had more fun on the beach. Here the waves were quite strong and Arjun was clinging onto Hitesh holding him by his gold chain and later there’s no gold chain. It must have come off in the sea. 

After Kusadasi we took a coach back to Fethiye where we spent the remaining few days chilling, enjoying the sun the sand the pool and the apple teas. Nikhil had quite fond of these fruit teas as they were quite sweet. 

Turkey had been an interesting trip. A few mishaps here and there but all in all we had a had a wonderful time. I think the boys would have been quite happy to just be in one place and enjoy the sun and the sand but then where’s the fun in that and where’s the story! However writing about it now makes me feel guilty about forcing culture and sightseeing and adventure on 4 and 5 year olds and I can understand now why they never said no to a ski holiday but when it came to other holidays they did question the need to go.